How to Use the Command 'pulumi cancel' (with examples)

The command pulumi cancel is a useful tool within the Pulumi command-line interface (CLI) that allows users to halt a stack’s ongoing update operation. This command becomes crucial in situations where an update might be hung, running indefinitely, or if there is a need to stop an update due to unforeseen changes in stack requirements. The command ensures that resources are not in a midway state by stopping an update safely.

Use case 1: Cancel a stack’s currently running update, if any

Code:

pulumi cancel stack_name

Motivation:

Imagine you’re in a situation where you’ve initiated an update to your Pulumi-managed stack, but due to a last-minute change in requirements or discovery of a critical issue, continuing with this update could lead to failures or resource misconfigurations. In scenarios where the stack is still in an updating state, it’s vital to halt this process to prevent undesired changes or corruption of resources. Using pulumi cancel allows for a controlled stoppage of the ongoing process, preserving the stack’s integrity.

Explanation:

• pulumi: This is the command-line tool for managing and deploying your Pulumi projects.
• cancel: This command option is used to halt an ongoing update.
• stack_name: Replace this with the actual name of the stack you want to cancel. A stack in Pulumi represents a collection of resources representing the desired state as per your infrastructure as code (IaC) definition.

Example output:

Attention: This will attempt to cancel the update for 'stack_name'.

User [your-username] attempting to cancel a currently running update on 'stack_name'... 

Cancellation request sent successfully.

This output indicates that the cancellation request has been initiated, and the update process for the specified stack will be halted.

Use case 2: Skip confirmation prompts, and proceed with cancellation anyway

Code:

pulumi cancel --yes

Motivation:

In a high-pressure environment where every second matters, or in automated scripts where human interaction is minimized, skipping prompts and confirmations can save valuable time. Consider a situation where an automated script needs to ensure no ongoing updates are occurring before proceeding with another deployment task. By using the --yes flag, it enables the script or user to bypass confirmation messages, ensuring the command executes with no delays.

Explanation:

• pulumi: The Pulumi command-line tool interface.
• cancel: The option to stop an ongoing update process.
• --yes: This flag automatically proceeds with the cancellation without asking for further user confirmation. It is especially useful in scripting or automation contexts where manual confirmations are impractical or not feasible.

Example output:

User [your-username] has requested to cancel the update without confirmation.

Cancellation in progress for stack [stack_name].

Cancel request successfully acknowledged and processing.

This output reflects an immediate cancel request processed without requiring any manual confirmation from the user.

Use case 3: Display help

Code:

pulumi cancel --help

Motivation:

Users might not be familiar with all options and flags available for the pulumi cancel command. By accessing help documentation directly via the CLI, users can get immediate guidance and clarification on the command’s usage. Whether you are new to Pulumi or an experienced engineer, having quick access to the command’s help can clear doubts and ensure accurate command usage.

Explanation:

• pulumi: The Pulumi command-line interface.
• cancel: The option within Pulumi that pertains to stopping an ongoing stack update.
• --help: This flag provides comprehensive details and usage instructions related to the cancel command, outlining parameters, examples, and additional flags that might be helpful.

Example output:

Usage: pulumi cancel [options] [args]

Options:
  --yes      Skip confirmation prompts.
  --help     Show help information.

Usage example:
  pulumi cancel stack_name
  pulumi cancel --yes

More information about this command can be found at: https://www.pulumi.com/docs/iac/cli/commands/pulumi_cancel/

The help command’s output offers information about the usage and options available, ensuring users are well-prepared to use the command effectively.

Conclusion:

The pulumi cancel command is a critical tool for developers and DevOps engineers working with infrastructure managed via Pulumi. Whether halting a problematic update, ensuring automation efficiency, or accessing help documentation, the command plays a fundamental role in controlling and managing the state of cloud resources. Understanding and effectively using the available options can significantly enhance the reliability and efficiency of your infrastructure operations.